Wed, Sep 21, 2016
Employees From The Planemaker And Airline On Hand For The Ceremony
The first delivery of an A321 aircraft from the Airbus U.S. Manufacturing Facility to Spirit Airlines took place Monday in Mobile, AL. On hand for the occasion were executives from Airbus and Spirit Airlines, 140 Spirit Airlines employees, and the 350 Airbus employees at the Airbus U.S. Manufacturing Facility.
“Many years ago, Spirit recognized that Airbus was the right partner to provide the most modern, fuel-efficient aircraft, which allowed them to become a leading Ultra Low Cost Carrier in the U.S.,” said Bob Lekites, Executive Vice President-Customers, Airbus Americas. “It’s been a successful partnership, and this aircraft — the first to be produced for Spirit in Mobile and the U.S. — will hold a special place in our memories as we go forward. It’s truly a great milestone.”
“This is an exciting day for Spirit Airlines,” said Bob Fornaro, President and CEO of Spirit Airlines. “Our Fit Fleet is one of the youngest and most fuel-efficient in the industry and we’re thrilled to add our first American-made aircraft to the Spirit family. Spirit’s all-Airbus fleet helps us maintain an efficient, streamlined operation, allowing the company to save on costs and provide customers with ultra-low fares.”
Airbus announced its commitment to build a single-aisle assembly line in Mobile, Alabama in 2012, and less than one year later, broke ground on the $600 million facility. The ceremonial inauguration of the plant took place in September 2015. The aircraft delivered today is the 10th aircraft delivered from Mobile.
Airbus anticipates delivering four aircraft per month from the Mobile plant by the end of 2017. The initial deliveries will all be A320 Family aircraft with the Current Engine Option (CEO), but will begin transitioning to New Engine Option (NEO) derivatives in late 2017.
(Image provided with Airbus news release)
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